Chernin Group Buys Stake In Graphic India

BREAKING: Hot global geek news out of India. CA Media, LP, the Asian investment arm of The Chernin Group, has acquired a large minority stake in Graphic India, a comic book and animation company focused on creating mythological and superhero characters, comics and stories for the Indian youth market, published across mobile and online platforms.

Launched last year by media entrepreneurs Sharad Devarajan, Gotham Chopra and Suresh Seetharaman as a subsidiary of their U.S. comic book company Liquid Comics, Graphic India will now be jointly owned by Liquid Comics and CA Media. Devarajan will be appointed CEO of Graphic India and remain Executive Chairman of Liquid Comics. Liquid Comics will contribute one of the world’s largest and highest-quality comic book libraries based on Indian characters to Graphic India. In addition to CA Media’s investment, it will partner with Graphic India to provide industry expertise and create iconic franchises for Graphic’s characters through multiple media within the Indian entertainment ecosystem.

Graphic India will release new digital content around the highly acclaimed comic books previously published by Liquid Comics, including:

· Devi, created by preeminent filmmaker Shekhar Kapur (Elizabeth; Mr. India; The Golden Age) features the story of an immortal goddess reincarnated as a young woman in the fictional Indian city of Sitapur, charged with using her super-heroic powers to save her city from demons and monsters.

Recent Comments

Is there a comic-related deal that Stan Lee ISN'T part of? He hasn't created anything after 1970...

ABAD

2 years

Indian Graphic Grandeur..... VERY INTERESTING!!!

DesiComicFan

2 years

This is going to rock. What a great team.

· The Sadhu, created by Gotham Chopra, about a British colonial soldier who becomes trained by the Indian mystics known asSadhus and uses his newfound abilities for justice and currently being developed as a theatrical live-action film in Hollywood.

· Ramayan 3392AD, a futuristic epic inspired by the classical Ramayana myth and currently beingdeveloped as a theatrical live-action film in Hollywood with Mandalay Entertainment.

Graphic India has also partnered with POW! Entertainment and Stan Lee to create his first superhero for the Indian market, Chakra The Invincible. The story centers on Mumbai teenager Raju Rai, who develops a technology-enhanced suit that activates the mystical chakras of the body, unleashing newfound abilities and powers. Lee will be collaborating with a team of leading Indian artists and creators to bring the new superhero to animation and comic books.

Graphic India will provide a new creative voice to the fast growing Indian youth marketplace with more than 500 million consumers under the age of 25 and with more than 850 million mobile phone users. Graphic India’s aim is to provide multi-platform entertainment content that respects India’s creative traditions and the global ambitions of the Indian people today. There will be mythological and superhero characters launched.

Rajesh Kamat, CEO of CA Media India, stated: “Following our successful entry into the traditional media space, we are very pleased that Graphic India marks our first investment in the digital space. CA Media’s aim is to create an ecosystem of diversified assets across media, where each asset not only unlocks its own value, but also adds to the rest of the portfolio. Graphic India is a valuable addition to this mix, especially in the youth segment. We look forward to working with the company to create heroes that inspire the next generation of Indian consumers.”

“India is home to some of the most creative minds in the world, and we believe that the next Batman, Harry Potter, Pokemon or The Avengers, can come from this country,” said Graphic India’s Devarajan. “We intend to find, nurture and promote a new generation of creators to transform the world with their stories. The team at The Chernin Group and CA Media bring an unparalleled level of experience in entertainment and we could not imagine a better partner to work with to launch this mission.”

17 Comments

Fan • on Jan 17, 2013 7:22 am

Hollywood needs to get over its hang-up with comics. Research by the biggest distributor in the comic business found that the average age of a comic fan is 37. 37-years-old – and that’s the average! It’s a 20th Century art form that might not survive long into the 21st.

Interested! • on Jan 17, 2013 7:22 am

Wow! Fantastic venture. Entering India is a wonderful plan. India is full of stories and mythologies. It will be fun to watch the modern interpretations. Best wishes Graphic!

Joran Diwan • on Jan 17, 2013 7:22 am

Wow, this is very cool. As a 24 year old I think it is underestimated how enjoyable this content is; especially with an Indian undertone and playing off the epics – looking forward to what Graphic throws at us!

Rohan Malani • on Jan 17, 2013 7:22 am

Pff, hang up with comics? This is the best thing that could have happened to Indian mythology!

Fan • on Jan 17, 2013 7:22 am

This has some real potential. Good luck.

ednapoops • on Jan 17, 2013 7:22 am

W00T! Way to go Liquid Comics!

Fan • on Jan 17, 2013 7:22 am

As an Indian, am excited. Finally someone treating our myths with some epic graphic animation and cool story telling

Ashish Avin • on Jan 17, 2013 7:22 am

Woohoo! Finally Indian comics are coming of age! Very nice! :D

Anonymous • on Jan 17, 2013 7:22 am

I’ve heard the creator of the Xmen, Avengers and one of the Batman writers are giving some new content a twist. Too good.

Didn’t Liquid Comics close down last year after disasterously low sales and very high expenses? Looks like they found someone else other than Chopra’s rich dad to throw some more cash into this money pit. Well at least its Chinese money this time. They have cash to burn.

Anonymous • on Jan 17, 2013 7:22 am

Don’t think so, the imagery is too epic

Anonymous • on Jan 17, 2013 7:22 am

Great writers, amazing artwork – looking forward to new content from these guys. Especially on the Ramayana and Mahabharata pieces

DesiComicFan • on Jan 17, 2013 7:22 am

This is going to rock. What a great team.

ABAD • on Jan 17, 2013 7:22 am

Indian Graphic Grandeur….. VERY INTERESTING!!!

Sick of Stan • on Jan 17, 2013 7:22 am

Is there a comic-related deal that Stan Lee ISN’T part of? He hasn’t created anything after 1970 that’s been successful, yet people still want him involved with their characters…